Minneapolis, MN, Sept. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced it made a preliminary finding that imports of quartz surface products from China are unfairly subsidized. As a result, Commerce will impose countervailing duties ranging from 34.38 to 178.45 percent.
These findings are extremely important to Cambria and the entire American domestic quartz producing industry. Cambria is the leading producer of made-in-America natural quartz surface products and filed the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions with Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission in April 2018 to fight back against the flooding of unfairly trade imports from China. Other domestic and foreign producers of natural quartz surfaces supported Cambria’s effort to combat unfairly traded Chinese imports. In 2010, China displaced less than $16 Million per annum of the U.S. quartz market. By 2017, that number grew to over $1.2 Billion per annum. In the first half of 2018, the total volume of U.S. imports of quartz surface products from China increased by over 51 percent, when comparing import data for the first half of 2017.
"Cambria is pleased with the Department of Commerce’s preliminary finding in the trade case we filed earlier this year. This determination is the result of the agency’s thorough investigation and confirms what the petition alleged—that China has unfairly subsidized quartz surface products to highjack the U.S. market and as a result these unfairly traded imports have flooded the U.S. market,” said Marty Davis, President and CEO of Cambria. “We commend the diligent work of the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission and look forward to final determinations in this important investigation. This is a critical first step toward restoring a level playing field within our industry, fulfilling the obvious axiom: there is no such thing as free trade without fair trade.” Mr. Davis added, “Cambria and its employees, along with many members of our industry, welcome this decision. We all remain committed to ensuring that trade is conducted on a level playing field.”
Commerce is scheduled to issue preliminary antidumping determinations in November 2018. Cambria’s petitions allege that the increase in Chinese imports has injured the domestic industry and threatens further damage if duties to offset China’s unfair trade practices are not imposed. If Commerce and the International Trade Commission both make final affirmative determinations in their investigations, final duties could be imposed in May or June 2019.
# # #
About Cambria:
Cambria Company LLC, headquartered in Le Sueur, MN, is the leading domestic producer of quartz surface products. It is a family-owned, American-made company that employs more than 2,000 people across North America.